Bach, J S: Prelude & Fugue in D major, BWV532

The outstanding young organ virtuoso Cameron Carpenter burst on to the scene last year with an astonishing recording entitled “Revolutionary” (CD80711). Reviewers were fulsome in their praise of his gifts as a performer. In an interview, feature, and review in the Gramophone Jeremy Nicholas stated that his “rhythmic buoyancy, clarity of voicing, and sheer élan are quite masterly” in his interpretation of pieces by Dupré, and Demessieux. There was also an interview/feature in Classic FM magazine and cover feature in “Muso”. He was recently picked as one of the “New Stars of 2010” in Classic FM Magazine.

Unlike his first recording “Revolutionary” which was made on a virtual pipe organ, Cameron Carpenter’s second album for Telarc has been made on a large-scale acoustic instrument, the massive Aeolian-Skinner organ at New York’s Church of Saint Mary the Virgin. This CD/DVD two-disc album includes three preludes and fugues from J.S. Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier and five preludes and fugues from the major organ works of Bach. The DVD features performances on a Wurlitzer pipe organ built in the early 20th Century. It includes arrangements of Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, two pieces by George Gershwin, “The Alcotts”, from Charles Ives’ Concord Sonata, Astor Piazzola’s Libertango, Mozkowski’s Sparks (“Etincelles”), Schubert’s Erlkönig, Rachmaninov’s arrangement of Bach’s Violin Sonata No. 3 in E Major, and Carpenter’s own celebrated arrangement of Sousa’s The Stars and Stripes Forever.

Hyperion’s Bach Piano Transcriptions series reaches volume 8, and continues to surprise and delight with a disc containing many first recordings. The controversial figure of Eugen d’Albert was one of the greatest pianists of his day and, although largely forgotten now, a composer of genuinely international renown. A sometime student at the Royal College of Music, d’Albert rejected his British upbringing and nailed his colours to the mast of German music. Bach was an important part of his performing career—and like other great nineteeth-century pianists, d’Albert saw in the monumental scale of the organ works an opportunity to synthesize the works of the Master with the expanded capabilities of the modern piano.

The final volume in Margaret Phillips’ critically-acclaimed survey of the complete Bach organ works, includes the rarely-recorded ‘Neumeister’ chorale preludes, together with a selection of other works, including some of Bach’s best-loved organ music, such as the 4th Trio Sonata, and the brilliant and virtuoso Preludes & Fugues in D major (BWV 532) and A minor (BWV 543).

The ‘Neumeister’ chorale preludes, discovered at Yale University in 1985, encompass a wonderful variety of techniques, with many opportunities to exploit the colours of a large historic instrument, such as this one in the Grote Kerk, Leeuwarden, in the Netherlands, which was built by Christian Müller in 1727, and is one the world’s finest historic organs, set in a perfect acoustic.

A magnificent conclusion to a series being hailed as one of the finest recordings of Bach’s organ music on disc.

Respighi had always been committed to the art of transcription, arranging Bach’s Violin Sonata in E minor in 1908-09 with acute perception. This was followed during 1929 and 1930 by even greater and more resplendent Bach settings. The powerful sense of orchestral colour acquired during his training under Rimsky-Korsakov is heard to bold yet subtle effect in the Three Chorale Preludes. The Prelude and Fugue in D major is even more gloriously lavish, drawing on the full resources of the modern symphony orchestra, as does the brilliantly realised Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor. Edward Elgar’s transcription is a work of sustained grandeur and rich musical intensity.

Respighi’s most famous transcriptions are probably still those of the ancient airs and dances, first published in 1917, but his Bach transcriptions are hardly less impressive. These richly coloured works rescore and reclothe Bach for Respighi’s time – 1929-30 – and do so brilliantly. They are exciting creations in their own terms, utilising every facet of a modern symphony orchestra, and so too is Elgar’s sole example.

On this CD Berben plays the complete keyboard toccatas. The early keyboard toccatas are some of the most mysterious and most fascinating of Bach’s works – they don’t exhibit any of the characteristics of Bach’s later, more mature compositions. As ever from this label, stunning quality.

In his youth, J.S. Bach came across two North German musicians who considerably influenced him: Georg Böhm and Buxtehude. Their stylistic influence on Bach can be seen clearly in his early works. This SACD demonstrates the musical connection in a selection of pieces. Formal parallels and harmonic borrowings made by Bach from the North German masters become apparent. In this recording, Martin Neu plays the Ahrend organ in Herzogenaurach. The organ builder Jürgen Ahrend from Leer, North Germany is reckoned to be one of the leading organ builders and restorers, and who has gained an international reputation particularly for his consistent restoration work and his great artistry in voicing. The Ahrend organ in Herzogenaurach was built by his son Hendrik Ahrend who continues the tradition of Ahrend organs.

Any collection of recordings of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) must include a good proportion of his compositions for the organ on which he must have been a master-performer and for which he provided a treasure trove of works. With organs requiring large acoustics they are usually to be found in churches, but such is the expense of maintaining them and the buildings in which they are housed that some are falling in to a state of disrepair or are being removed to be replaced by modern electrical or electronic instruments which, for all their good workmanship, completely fail to match the majesty of the original. Recordings, therefore, on a fine Hi-fi system are a superb alternative to travelling long distances to sit on often uncomfortable pews in cold churches (however that is not to say that they should completely replace the chance of hearing an original in real life, like other forms of music a live performance has added dimensions, it is just that it is becoming harder to attend such occasions). Lionel Rogg, in this second of several planned sets, brings together the remainder of the more extended works which are either a Fantasia, Prelude or Toccata followed by a Fugue, together with works which are Fantasias and Preludes without Fugues and some Fugues on their own.